Apparatus for justifying lines



y 18, 1954 R. HIGONNET ETAL APPARATUS FOR JUSTIFYING LINES 4 Sheqts-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 1, 1951 Fig. 2

D INVENTORS RENE HIGONNET .LOUIS MOYROUD ATTORNEYS May 18, 1954 R, HIGONNET ETAL APPARATUS FOR JUSTIFYING LINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1, 1951 1 INVENTORS RENE HIGONNET BY LOUIS MOYROUD ATTOR NEYS y 13, 1954 R. HIGONNET ETAL APPARATUS FOR JUSTIFYING LINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 1, 1951 Fig. 5

l/Il IIIIIIII I mmvroas RENE HIG Fig. 6

ATTORNEYS Patented May 18, 1954 2,678,713 APPARATUS FOR JUSTIFYING LINES Rene Higonnet and Louis Moyroud, Cambridge, Mass., assignors to Graphic Arts Research Foundation, Inc., Cambridge, Mass, at corporation of Delaware Application September 1, 1951, Serial No. 244,842 Claims priority, application France June 2, 1945 13 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing justified lines of written matter, and more particularly concerns the justification of printed lines by apparatus suitable for use in conjunction with type composing machines. This application is a continuationin-part of our copending application Serial No. 610,336, filed August 11, 1945.

The final object of justification is to produce successive lines of characters of the same length, despite the varying content of the respective lines. Numerous methods for doing this are known and used; they involve varying degrees of complexity and bulk of equipment, and also may be distinguished from one another according to the differences in the arrangement and spacing of the characters which are brought about by the justification. In order to place the present invention in its proper relation to the art, a nomenclature which is to be used is first defined.

We refer to the desired length of the justified line as justified line length, or as the symbol J. Similarly, the length of the unjustified line (represented by the sum or" the assigned widths of each of the characters selected for the line, plus an arbitrarily-assigned minimum space between words) is referred to as unjustified line length, or as L. The difierence between J and L is the line deficit, or simply D. The number of spaces between words in the line, also called word spaces or interwords is represented by N, and this is always one less than the actual number of words themselves. Justiiicaticn can be brought about in several ways, defending upon how the line deficit D is subdivided and distributed as increments of space in the line. One method is to divide D among the interwords cn'iy; this is called interword justification. Another method is to divide D among the total number of characters and interwords counting each character and interword as a unit; this is called intercharacter justification. A third method is a combination of the first two, and is called "mixed justification.

Que of the known justifying methods is simply to divide D by N and to produce in a mechanical element a displacement representing the quotient. If only a limited number of increment sizes are available for selection, then since the quotient D/N is seldom likely to equal exactly any one of the available increment sizes, the resulting lines cannot all be of exactly the justified line length J. It is necessary to distort the type or to provide a large enough selection of increment sizes so that the discrepancies in the margins will not be objectionably large.

In linotype machines, in contrast to the foregoing, the method is to force a number of wedges between the words, or in some cases between characters, until the cast line exactly fills the space between two fixed abutments separated by the length J. This method may be varied for the purposes of photographic type composing by setting up a line of blocks or spacing devices having widths corresponding to the respective characters and minimum interwords. In either case, the method involves the setting-up of type or of devices representing type Widths using a magazine and distribution apparatus.

Still another method of justification is shown in the patent to Bush, No. 2,379,862. According to this method a digital computing device is employed to determine an increment size closely approximating the exact quotient D/N. The increment size thus determined is not used throughout the line (except when D/N happens to be an integer), but is changed at some point so that each line is of the exact length J.

An object of the present invention is to produce lines of exactly justified line length.

Another object is to provide justifying apparatus adapted for use with rigid, distortionless character objectives such as are employed in photographic type composing apparatus, wherein the characters are projected successively upon a photo-sensitive material in accordance with information stored in a coded register or memory device. The invention is to be contrasted with equipment using a type magazine and distribution apparatus.

A feature of the invention is an improved form of justifier having provision, as in the Bush justifier, for changing the justifying increment at some point in each line where the quotient D/N cannot be provided exactly by a single one of the available increment sizes, but using a system of pre-sclection which obviates the performance of any mathematical computation.

Other features and objects of the invention relate to aspects of the procedure and apparatus employed which will be understood by referring to the drawings and related description to follow.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a diagram representing the manner in which the justification may be brought about; Fig. 2 is a diagram similar to Fig. 1 showing a variant thereof; Fig. 3 is a view partly in section of a variable escapement for spacing the characters and words under the control of the justifier; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the variable escapement taken along the cutting line l-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention using a cylindrical field of conducting plates; Fig. 6 represents schematically the embodiment of Fig. 5 including a developed view of the cylindrical field; Fig. 7 shows apparatus for operating the embodiment of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a view of a line length indicator which may be used with the invention; and Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a complete photo graphic composing machine utilizing the embodiment of Fig. 5.

The principle of operation of the present invention may be shown by reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 shows a field having rectangular coordinates N and D representing, respectively, the number of interwords and units of line deficit. It will be obvious that one may represent by means of such a field a large number of combinations of line deficit and interwords, the number of such combinations being purely a matter of choice.

The field is subdivided into a number of increment areas, or elements, i+0, i+l, i+2, etc., these areas being defined by straight lines such. as N=D+a, N= (D-}a), N= (D+a), etc., where a is a constant of less than one unit, the exact size being immaterial, since its function is merely to shift the lines to the left so that none of them intersects a point at which the grid lines intersect each other.

Each of the increment areas, for every point falling within it, defines an interword distance equal to 2', the minimum interword, plus an additional increment represented by the Arabic numeral following the plus sign. Both 2 and the increment are measured in multiples of a unitary distance, in which the line deficit D is also measured. Thus, for the point representing D=6 units and N =6 interwords, the corresponding increment area is i+1, defining an inter-word space of i+l units.

Suppose, now, that a given line has a deficit D of 5 units and has 4 interwords. This is represented by the point Pi in Fig. 1. Suppose also that the first interword space in the line is to be defined by the increment area within which Pl falls. In this case, the first interword will then contain z+1 units. It is apparent that if a like space were to be employed for each of the four interwords in the line, the total space cnsumed by the inter-words would be 4(z'-l) or 4i+4. It will be remembered that the line deficit D was originally computed in such a way that the resulting units was the excess of J over L, L being the sum of the character widths, plus 4i. The resulting line would therefore be short of J by one space unit. To avoid this result, either of two procedures may be employed.

According to one procedure, after the first interword is given the value represented by the point Pl, the next interword will have a value represented by the point P2, one unit to the right of Pi. This will again be i+l units. The third interword, repeating this procedure, will have a value represented by P3, and the fourth interword will have a The last interword will have the value 2+2, since the point P4 is in the increment area 2+2. The total space consumed by the interwords will be 3(2'+l)+i+2, or 4i+5, and the line will equal J exactly.

According to the other procedure, after the first interword is given the value represented by value represented by P6.

the point Pi the next interword will have a value represented by the point Pi, one space below the point PI, and one unit to the left. The one unit to the left is determined by the fact that the point PI is in an area having an increment of one unit. In like manner, the third interword is given the value represented by the point P6, one space below the point P5, and one unit to the left, since the point P5 is in the same area having an increment of one unit. The fourth interword is given the value i+2, since the point P7, one unit to the left and one space below the point P6, is in the area i l-2. Thus, this procedure calls for a movement, after each interword space is determined, of one space down, and a movement to the left of as many units as there are increment units in the area containing the point from which the movement begins. It will be noted that, if there were any reason for so doing. a final movement from the point P7 would comprise a movement of two units to the left and one space down, terminating in the origin of the diagram. This procedure results in each of the interwords being given the same value as provided by the first procedure, and the line will again. equal J exactly.

Using either of the above-described procedures. it will be apparent that a solution giving rise to an exactly justified line is provided for every combination of line deficit and interwords represented by a point on the diagram. However, it will be apparent that some adjustment must be made for cases where the operation causes a point to be reached which is below the area i-ii. Since the areas become increasingly narrower it is graphically convenient to encircle such points, as shown in Fig. l, and to designate such points as i+5, i+6, etc. These points are treated as defining interword values in the same manner as the areas above.

Fig. 2 is substantially similar to Fig. l, with certain difierences which are stated below. The principal difference is that the lines defining the increment areas are N=Da, N= (D-a), N= (D-a), etc.; that is, the lines are shifted to the right instead of to the left. Ihe increment areas are also given a value one unit higher than in the case of Fig. 1. Thus, although the areas are numbered differently than in Fig. 1, for the point D 6 units and N=6 interwords the corresponding increment area is i+l, or the same as in Fig. 1. Another difference is that a vertical line mm is drawn 6 units to the right of the vertical axis of the diagram, thus separating the area i-f-l from an area H-O. The reason for this line is explained below.

As in Fig. 1, two justifying procedures may be employed using Fig. 2. The first is analogous to the first procedure of Fig. 1, except that instead of moving to the right, as from Pl to P2 to P3, etc., the movement is to the left. Thus, starting from an initial position at P8, the movement is to P9, to PM, and finally to Pl 4. The second procedure is exactly the same as the second procedure described in connection with Fig. 1; that is, starting from the initial point P8, the movement is to Pl2, then to PH, and finally to PM.

Both methods used on this diagram produce an identical result, as in the case of Fig. 1. However, it will be noted that the distribution of the interword spaces Will differ from that produced by using Fig. 1. In the case of Fig. 1, if the interword increment changes at some point in the line, the change will consist of an increase in the increment of one unit. In the case of Fig. 2,

the change will consist of a decrease in the increment of one unit.

Suppose, in Fig. 2, that D=1 unit and N=6 interwords. The initial point will then be at P15. It will be apparent that a correct result requires that five interwords shall have the minimum value i, and one shall have the value i+l. For this reason the line mm is provided so that, after the first interword is determined. by the point PM), the subsequent movements, by either of the two methods, will bring all subsequent points within the increment area i-l-G.

It will be apparent after a consideration of Figs. 1 and 2 that analogous diagrams may be employed in which other coordinate systems, such as polar coordinates, may be used. Also, the scales may be differentially compressed, as by the use of logarithmic scales, provided that the successive movements described above are compressed or expanded in a corresponding manner. The lines separating the respective areas may be stair-stepped or otherwise shaped in any desired manner, provided that the same points are included in the respective areas as indicated by Fig. 1 or 2. It is also clear that the lines separating the respective areas may be eliminated entirely, provided that each poirt representing the intersection of grid lines is defined as also representing the interword value corresponding to the area within which it would fall if such lines had been included in the diagram.

The particular embodiment of the invention described below is intended to be only illustrative of a variety of devices adapted to employ the procedures of justification graphically illustrated in reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

The device shown in Figs. 5, 6, '7 and 8 is adapted to utilize the second procedure described in connection with Fig. 2. According to this procedure, for the example given above, the successive points which determine the successive interword widths are P8, Pl2, PH) and PM. The block diagram of Fig. 9 illustrates the manner in which this device may be adapted to the other elements in a photographic composing machine.

As shown in Fig. 9, the machine is provided with a keyboard 2. The keyboard is adapted to actuate a register 4 which is typically constructed in such a manner that it can store the information representing all of the keyboard operations performed for any given line.

In addition, the keyboard actuates two switches .SI and S2, shown also in Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7. The switch Si comprises the concentric xed cylinders 6 and 8 (Fig. 5). The cylinder 8 is preferably made of an insulating material and bears a set of electrical conducting plates, insulated from one another, on its outer surface. These plates correspond to the increment areas of the diagram in Fig. 2. A developed view of the plates is shown in Fig. 6. The cylinder 6 is also preferably made of insulating material, into which are embedded a number of conducting rails or rings such as 18, there being one rail for each interword value on the diagram. A member i2 is supported by two arms, of which only one is shown, which are keyed to a shaft M run- The member !2 can thus move between the cylinders. It is provided with pins such as 46, each of which constantly bears upon the cylinder 8 and one of the conducting rings such as Ill.

The switch S2 is a simple rotary switch providing a means for selecting any desired ring such as H).

At the beginning of the storage of each line the brush of the switch S2 is at its zero position. Each time the space bar is actuated, this brush moves one step in a clockwise direction. Thus, the switch S2 is an interword counter and may be thought of as measuring the equivalent of the N dimension in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 shows dotted lines connecting the switch Si and the keyboard 2. This schematically represents the apparatus of Fig. 7 which is hereinafter more fully described. Each time a character key is depressed the apparatus of Fig. 7 moves by a displacement corresponding to the number of units of width of the particular character. When the space bar is actuated the movement is by the number of units in the minimum interword, which is 1 units. The mechanism which brings about these movements may be a variable escapement similar to that which is hereinafter described in connection with Figs. 3 and 4. The motions of the variable escapement are eventually transmitted to the shaft 14 of the switch Si. The switch Si thus serves as a selector means for measuring the line deficit and may be thought of as measuring the equivalent of the D dimension of Fig. 6.

As shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 9, each of the conducting plates is connected to an electromagnet such as 18 of a variable escapement 20 similar to that which is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The variable escapement 20 moves a carriage to space the characters.

Immediately upon the final actuation of the keyboard for a given line, and upon the completion of the final movements of the switches SI and S2 (or simply of the switch Si alone), the switches Si and S2 will have located a particular point on the switch Si which represents the line deficit and number of interwords for the particular line. This is the point with which the pin is in contact on the ring selected by the switch S2. It will be noted from Figs. 5, 6 and 9 that only the plate on which this point falls will close a circuit from the ground, through a contact on the switch S2, to a particular wire leading into the variable escapement 20.

After the storage, the characters are then photographically transcribed from the register, one at a time, and spaced under the control of the register and the switches Si and S2. This process is carried out under the control of timing means, designated as 22 in Fig. 9. For the purpose of this description the particular form of this timing means is not important, but by way of example it will be assumed that it is comprised of cam-operated electrical contacts. The timing means is adapted to cause a character forming means 24 to transcribe the selected characters stored in the register A onto a surface (in this example, by photographic projection), the surface being mounted on a carriage 25. The carriage 26 is moved under the control of the variable escapement 20.

For each keyboard operation stored in the register the timing means causes the following events to happen in succession during transscription:

First, the stored information is read from the register 4 and the appropriate image projected upon a photo-sensitive surface by the character forming means 24. If an interword is registered there will be no projection.

Second, a circuit is completed from the register 4 through the timing means 22 to the variable escapement 20 to cause a movement of the carriage 26 by a number of units corresponding to the width of the character. If an interword is registered the displacement will be equal to the minimum interword 2'.

Third, if an interword is registered, a circuit is completed from the timing means 22, which is assumed to be connected to a source of electrical energy, through the variable escapement 20 and the switch Si, to the switch S2, which is grounded (see Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 9). This causes an additional movement of the escapement equal to the number of units of increment to be added to the interword as indicated by the positions of the switches SI and S2.

Fourth, if there was a movement in step three, the brush of the switch S2 is moved one step and the switch SI is moved as many units to the left (Fig. 6) as there are increment units represented by the plate from which the movement begins, in accordance with the procedure outlined above with reference to Fig. 2.

Figs. 3 and 4 show in greater detail the construction of the variable escapement or feeding device 23. The carriage 26 is shifted in one direction by rotation of a shaft 28. For this purpose the carriage may be provided with a rack 30 which is driven from the shaft 28 through a one-way clutch device diagrammatically shown at 32 to shift the carriage in response to rotation of the shaft 28 in one direction only. Device 32 may be a well-known ratchet and pawl arrangement connected between the shaft 28 and a pinion driving the rack 36.

Keyed to the shaft 28 is a disk 34 having on its periphery a series of notches of different widths separated by teeth. A number of sliding stops such as 36 cooperate with the disk 34, one stop being provided for each notch. These stops, preferably made of non-magnetic material, are secured to magnetic cores such as 38 which are electro-magnetically controlled by electromagnets such as 46, secured to a fixed frame 42. As shown in Fig. 3, each of these electromagnets is connected to a source of electrical potential in the timing means 22 and to one of the wires leading into the switch Si. When one of these electromagnets is energized, the corresponding stop projects into the path of the disk 34 against the action of a return spring such as 44. An exception to this is for the electromagnet 40. When this electromagnet is not energized the stop 36 is projected into the path of the disk; and when it is energized the stop 36 is withdrawn.

The stops are so arranged that each one is placed at a different distance from a corresponding tooth. This provides means for selecting from a number of possible angular degrees of clockwise movement. For example, the stop 36, when in immediate contact with a tooth, prevents any clockwise rotation of the disk; a stop 46 provides for an angular displacement alpha; and a stop 48 provides for an angular displacement delta. The stops each provide an angular displacement which is a multiple of a unitary displacement, assumed here to be alpha, this unitary displacement causing a movement of the carriage 26 through the device 32 which is equal to one width unit.

The disk 34 is normally urged in a clockwise direction by a tension spring 59 which is connected to a core 52 of a magnet 54, normally unenergized, the core having a rack 56 engaging a pinion 58. The pinion 58 is keyed to the shaft 28.

When the third step in the transcription process referred to above is to be performed, a source of electrical potential is connected to one lead of each of the electromagnets such as 40. The other lead of only one of the normally disengaged electromagnets will find a circuit to ground through a wire leading to the switch SI, in ac-- cordance with the above description, therefore only this stop will be projected into the path of the disk 36. It will be noted that no movement of the disk 34 will result until the magnet 40 is also energized, however. If the switch SI is assumed not to be in its zero position, this is accomplished by the connection of a lead 60 (see Figs. 3, 6 and 9) to a ground in the timing means 22. If the switch SI is in its zero position a lead 62 (see Figs. 6 and 9) is grounded through the switch S2, thus providing a signal to the timing device 22 that the lead 60 is not to be grounded. Under these conditions there is no movement of the disk 34.

In the case where the disk 34 has been rotated clockwise by a certain angle it is returned to its original position by the action of the electromagnet 54 which is energized and causes the rack 56 to move toward the right.

The apparatus for moving the switch SI in a manner conforming with the above description will now be described in greater detail.

Referring first to Fig. 7, the shaft M, to which is keyed the member I2, is connected through a clutch '52 to a feeding device 13 which. as already indicated, may be a variable escapement of the type shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The feeding device is connected through a second clutch M to a line length indicator it which is shown in detail in Fig. 8. The indicator has a fixed dial or face I8 to which is frictionally pivoted a pointer bearing a contact; 82. The pointer may thus be set manually at any desired position on the dial. A second pointer 84 bearing a contact 86 is keyed to a shaft 88 connected to the clutch 74. This latter pointer is constantly urged in a counterclockwise direction by a spiral spring, and when unrestrained reaches a fixed position at the zero mark on the dial, against a stop pin 89. For greater clarity in the drawing the spring is not shown.

The operation of the assembly may now be described. Assume that the line is about to be recorded. The member I 2 (Fig. 5) is in a position such that its pins are resting at the zero position on the conducting plates. The clutch 12 is released. The clutch M is actuated, thus connecting the feeding device 73 to the shaft 88 and the pointer 94. The pointer 84 rests at the zero mark on the dial. The pointer 80 is manually adjusted to the dial position corresponding to the desired line length J.

As the line of characters is stored in the register, the feeding device is actuated, thus causing the pointer 84 to move clockwise by the number of units corresponding to the widths of the selected characters or minimum interwords. Thus, the dial and the pointer 84 comprise a line length counter. Eventually, but before the pointer 84 reaches the position of the pointer 80, the contact 86 touches the contact 82. These contacts control a circuit which rings a bell or otherwise warns the operator that he must stop the registering of characters for that line at the end of the next word or hyphenation point. The same circuit also simultaneously releases the clutch I4 and energizes the clutch 12. The

pointer 8G immediately returns to its zero posi- The relative positions of the pointers 8H and 84 when the contacts 82 and 86 come into contact depends upon the positions of the contacts on the pointers. These positions are preferably adjusted so that, at the instant when the contacts touch, the relative displacement of the pointers is equal to the maximum number of units of line deficit which can be measured on the conducting plates of the cylinder 8.

The engagement of the feeding device it with the shaft I4 thus occurs at a time when the stored line of characters and interwords has unjustified cumulative width which is correctly represented by the pins on the cylinder 8 as corresponding to a line deficit D of the maximum value.

In the usual case, a few additional characters are stored in the register after the contacts 82 and 86 cause the energization of the clutch 12. The corresponding movements of the feeding device 13, instead of moving the pointer 34, now turn the member l2 and cause the latter to travel in a direction equivalent to that of the arrow F, as shown in Fig. 6. When all of the characters have been stored the pin such as it (Fig. 5) selected by the switch S2 is at a position on the drum 8 corresponding to the number of interwords and line deficit for the particular line.

In accordance with the description of the procedure by which this embodiment is assumed to operate, the switch S2 is moved one step after the transcription of each character. The switch SI may also be geared in a conventional manner to move a distance corresponding to that of the carriage 25 for the preceding increment, as indicated above.

It will appear of this embodiment that there is an important advantage which derives from the fact that the member 12 moves over the cylinder 3 only after the storage of the line is nearly completed. As above indicated, by the time the storage cycle is completed the pointer 84, or line length counter, has returned to its zero position and is ready to begin a new line. This means that by making a few changes in the connections as shown in Fig. 7 the justifier may permit the operator to begin to store the next line immediately after completing the storage of the preceding line. It is only necessary that the movements of the member I2 during the transcription cycle, described above, shall be completed and the pins returned to the proper position on the cylinder 8 before the operator reaches the point in the succeeding line where the clutch 12 is engaged and the member l2 connected to the feeding device. It is also necessary, of course, to provide two switches S2, since one is necessary for storage of word spaces and the other is concurrently necessary for transcription. These switches might be used alternately for storage and transcription, or one only might be adapted for storage, with provisions for presetting the other at some appropriate moment, as when the clutch i2 is engaged.

It will be recognized that modifications of the embodiment discussed above may be brought about, such as by shifting the drums or switches through a fixed angle, or by changing directions of movement, which modifications would result in a change to one of the other three procedures described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

from the foregoing description be adapted to Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In apparatus for composing justified lines of written matter, the combination of a keyboard, a register for storing information corresponding to a line of selected characters of different widths and spaces in said written matter, character forming means actuated by the register to transcribe the selected characters successively upon a sheet, spacing mechanism having provision for moving the character forming means relative to said sheet in multiples of a unit distance, spacing controls actuated by the register for causing the mechanism to space the characters according to their widths and minimum interwords, and a justifier for causing incremental movements of said mechanism, comprising a field of elements arranged with reference to a pair of coordinates, said coordinates respectively representing units of line deficit and number of justification increments and each element representing a precomputed increment size corresponding to said coordinates, selector means controlled by the keyboard to select a position in said field corresponding to said line, said selector means having a circuit for actuating the spacing mechanism according to the element with which the selector means is connected for each increment in the line, and means for moving the selector means over a predetermined path relative to the field during the intervals between incremental movements, whereby the line is exactly justified.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said selector means reaches said selected position corresponding to said line in substantial coincidence with completion of the storage of the last character thereof.

3. In apparatus for composing lines of written matter, a justifying device comprising, in combination, a field of elements arranged with reference to a pair of coordinates, said coordinates respectively representing units of line deficit and number of justification increments and each element representing a precomputed increment size corresponding to said coordinates, selector means to select a position in said field corresponding to the units of line deficit and number of justification increments in a given line, and spacing mechanism having provision for spacing the characters in a line in multiples of a unit distance having circuits for causing different sizes of incremental spacing, each circuit being connected to one of said elements, whereby the size of each increment in the line is determined by the element with which the selector means is connected.

4. In apparatus for composing lines of written matter, a justifying device comprising, in combination, a field of elements arranged with referenoe to a pair of coordinates, said coordinates respectively representing units of line deficit and number or justification increments and each element representing a precomputed increment size corresponding to said coordinates, selector means to select a position in said field corresponding to the units of line deficit and nu.-- ber of justification increments in a given line, spacing mechanism having provision for spacing the characters in a line in multiples of a unit distance having circuits for causing difierent sizes of incremental spacing, each circuit being connected to one of said elements, whereby the size of each increi .ent in the line is determined by the element with which the selector means is connected, and means for moving the selector means over a predetermined path in the field during the intervals be- 11 tween incremental movements, whereby the line is exactly justified.

5. In apparatus for composing lines of written matter, a justifying device for dividing the line deficit of each line, represented in multiples of a unit distance, into not more than two groups of justifying increments having not more than one unit diiierence in length, each increment being a multiple of the unit distance, comprising, in combination, a field of elements arranged with reference to a pair of coordinates representing, respectively, the line deficit and the number of increments, selector means movable in relation to the field for selecting an initial position in the field corresponding to a given line deficit and number of increments, a device for moving the selector means over a predetermined path to successive positions corresponding to each increment, and means responsive to the position of the selector means in the field for adding increments of space to the line.

6. In apparatus for composing lines of written matter, a justifying device comprising, in combination, a cylinder having a surface consisting of a number of mutually insulated conducting areas arranged with reference to a pair of coordinates representing, respectively, units of line deficit and number of justification increments, contact means rotatable about the axis of the cylinder and having provision for making contact with the conducting area in which lies the point corresponding to the number of justification increments and units of deficit in a given line, means for spacing the characters of the line in multiples of a unit distance including a circuit connected through said areas and contact means to a source of electrical energy for adding increments of space, and a device for moving the contact means over a predetermined path on said surface, whereby the size of each increment is determined by the position of the contact means when the increment is added.

7. The combination according to claim 6 in which said device advances the contact means completing the circuit to the spacing means to successive points in a circle having its plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder.

8. The combination according to claim 6 in which said device advances the Contact means completing the circuit to the spacing means to successive points by combined circumferential and axial movements, one movement being constant for each increment, and one movement being variable according to the value of each increment.

9. In apparatus for composing justified lines of written matter, the combination of a keyboard, a register for storing information corresponding to a line of selected characters of different widths and spaces in said written matter, character forming means actuated by the register to transcribe the selected characters successively upon a sheet, spacing mechanism having provision for moving the character forming means relative to said sheet in multiples of a unit distance, spacing controls actuated by the register for causing the mechanism to space the characters according to their widths and minimum interwords, and a justifier for causing incremental movements of said mechanism, comprising a field of elements arranged with reference to a pair of coordinates, said coordinates respectively representing units of line deficit and number of justification increments and each element representing a precomputed increment size corresponding to said coordiof a unit distance having circuits nates, selector means controlled by the keyboard to select a position in said field corresponding to said line, said selector means having a circuit for actuating the spacing mechanism according to the element with which the selector means is connected for each increment in the line, a line length counter operated by the keyboard to accumulate displacements corresponding to the widths of the selected characters and minimum interwords, transfer means to start the displacement of the selector means from a predetermined position in the field to said selected position when the counter reaches a corresponding position, and means for moving the selector means over a predetermined path relative to the field during the intervals between incremental movements, whereby the line is exactly justified.

10. In apparatus for composing lines of written matter, a justifying device comprising, in combination, a plurality of circuits arranged in groups, each circuit representing one of the possible combinations of units of line deficit and number of justification increments, and each group representing a precomputed increment size corresponding to said combinations, selector means to select a circuit corresponding to a given line, and spacing mechanism having provision for spacing the characters in the line in multiples of a unit distance having circuits for causing different sizes of incremental spacing, each of said last-mentioned circuits being connected to one of said groups, whereby the size of each increment in the line is determined by the group of the circuit with which the selector means is connected.

11. In apparatus for composing lines of written matter, a justifying device comprising, in combination, a plurality of circuits arranged in groups, each circuit representing one of the possible combinations of units of line deficit and number of justification increments, and each group representing a precomputed increment size corresponding to said combinations, selector means to select a circuit corresponding to a given line, spacing mechanism having provision for spacing the characters in the line in multiples for causing diiferent sizes of incremental spacing, each of said last-mentioned circuits being connected to one of said groups, whereby the size of each increment in the line is determined by the group of the circuit with which the selector means is connected, and means for connecting the selector means to each of a number of predetermined circuits successively during the intervals between incremental movements, whereby the line is exactly justified.

12. In apparatus for composing lines of written matter, a justifying device for dividing the line deficit of each line, represented in multiples of a unit distance, into not more than two groups of justifying increments having not more than one unit difference in length, each increment being a multiple of the unit distance, comprising in combination, a plurality of circuits arranged in groups, each circuit representing one of the possible combinations of units of line deficit and number of justification increments, and each group representing a precomputed increment size corresponding to said combinations, selector means to select a circuit corresponding to a given line, a device for connecting the selector means to each of a number of predetermined circuits successively during the intervals between incremental movements, said circuits falling within not more than two groups representing incre- 13 ment sizes differing by one unit, and means responsive to the group of the circuit with which the selector means is connected for adding corresponding increments of space to the line.

13. In apparatus for composing lines of written matter, a justifying device comprising, in combination, a field of elements arranged with reference to a pair of coordinates, said coordinates respectively representing units of line deficit and number of justification increments and each element representing a precomputed integral increment value approximating within one unit, for each included pair of coordinates, the quotient of a dividend represented by the corresponding line deficit and a divisor represented by the corresponding number of increments, selector means to select a position in said field corresponding to the units of line deficit and number of increments in a composed line, spacing mechanism operable during transcription of said line to space the characters in multiples of a unit distance, said mechanism having circuits for causing different sizes of incremental spacing, each circuit being connected to one of said elements, whereby the size of each increment is determined by the element with which the selector means is connected, and means for moving the selector means during transcription of the line over a predetermined path in steps initiated after each increment spacing to select the succeeding increment, whereby the total of said increments exactly justifies the line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 480,350 Street et a1 Aug. 9, 1892 2,379,862 Bush July 10, 1945 

